Boracay critical habitat pushed

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is pushing for the establishment of critical habitat in Boracay to conserve the coastal marine areas and forests.

PHOTO BOY RYAN ZABAL

The declaration of selected areas in the island as critical habitat for endemic and threatened species of green turtle, hawksbill turtle and flying foxes is part of Boracay rehabilitation action plan.  

Atty. Theresa Tenasas of DENR Biodiversity Management Bureau said the proposed Department Administrative Order (DAO) will complement the establishment of Boracay critical habitat in Barangay Balabag and Yapak pursuant to Republic Act No 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

On April 17, Tenazas urged the Malay Sangguniang Bayan to pass an ordinance supporting and adopting the efforts of DENR in establishing the 750.96-hectare (631.107 marine and 119.85 land) critical habitat.  

“We will be forming a Boracay Island Critical Habitat Management Council. The partners are LGUs, regional tourism office, non-government and people’s organizations and other relevant stakeholders to protect, preserve and further manage whatever is left in the island,” she added.

Public consultations last March 26 and April 11 were conducted by DENR in Boracay and Manila with the representatives of 11 establishments in the proposed critical habitat and the local officials of Malay, Aklan.

Critical habitats are areas outside of protected areas that are known habitats of threatened species based on scientific data, taking into consideration the species endemicity, presence of man-made structures and threats to the survival of wildlife living in the area.

According to DENR, Boracay Island has three types of forest - the mangrove forest, forest over limestone and beach forest found in sandy shores.

Forest over limestone in Yapak is the roosting site for island flying fox, greater flying fox and the endangered golden-crowned flying fox, the largest bat in the world.

These flying foxes choose Boracay Island as roasting sites and during the night, they move out in mainland Panay to forage for food.

Aside from being the biological agents, the flying boxes are silent planters in the regeneration of forest areas.

From 15,000 bats in 1988, the number of flying foxes in Boracay Island decreased to 2,997 in 2016. The decline in population was attributed to hunting and disturbance of the bats roasting grounds.

DENR also classified and surveyed three of the five identified caves in the island. These are Balabag cave, Lapus Lapus cave (Yapak), 1,022-meter darkside of Paradise cave (Balabag), 85-meter Bat cave and 68.5 meter Crystal cave in Ilig-iligan, Balabag.

Found inside the Crystal cave were ecofacts and artifacts, bats, stalactites, flowstones, stalagmites, crickets, pseudo spiders, and swiftlets while DENR found geological formations, bats, reptiles, crabs, spiders and speleothems in darkside of Paradise cave.

In 2008 survey of DENR, there were also nine wetlands which serve as catchment basins during the flooding season.

Last March, only seven wetlands were surveyed. 

First published by independent online blog Aklan Forum Journal. The unrestricted use in print, radio, publication and distribution of articles are allowed provided the original author and Aklan Forum Journal are credited.